“Dimitrie Cantemir” Christian University Knowledge Horizons - Economics Volume 6, No. 2, pp. 209–211 P-ISSN: 2069-0932, E-ISSN: 2066-1061 © 2014 Pro Universitaria www.orizonturi.ucdc.ro
THE ROLE OF DIMITRIE CANTEMIR IN THE ROMANIAN PEOPLE’S CULTURE
Anda Nicoleta ONE ȚIU
Lecturer, Universitary Doctor, The Faculty of International Relations, „Dimitrie Cantemir” Christian University , Bucharest, Economic, Romania, E mail: [email protected]
Abstract Dimitrie Can temir, was twice Prince of Moldavia (in March April 1693 and in 1710 1711). He was Key words: also a prolific man of letters, philosopher, historian, composer, musicologist, linguist, etnographer Geographer, and geographer between 1711 and 1719, he wrote his most important creations. Cantemir was philosopher, historian, known as one of the greatest linguists of his time, speaking and writing eleven languages and being composer, linguist well versed in Oriental Scholarship. This oeuvre is voluminous, diverse and original; although some JEL Codes: of his scientic writings contain unconfirmed theories, his expertise, sagacity and groundbreaking.
1. Introduction Soultan’s Court, but, even if he was involved in such As a romanian chronicler (author of chronicles), Dimitrie conditions, he followed his path to learn at the Cantemir represents the most important personality of Patriarchy’s Academy, in order to complete his studies the romanian literature in the feudal era. He won the in such fields as: logics, philosophy, geography, history, respect of his contemporary intellectuals and of his medicine, chemistry and occidental languages. The descendants, he impressed by his own strong interest of the young moldavian in literature and personality as a symbol for the whole mankind, grace of occidental sciences was encouraged by the diplomats his studies concerning some fields as: history, of the occidental states and travelling through the geography, politics, music, mathematics and physics. Central Europe convinced him about the linguistic unity of the romanian people. Once coming back from Constantinopol, he was co 2. Methods of research paticipant at the reign duty near his father and, after his I have used the research in order to finalize the father’s death in 1693 Dimitrie was chosen as voivode article:fundamental(theoretical): to get familiar with the but only for three weeks, being dethroned by special language and to work out abstract ideas and Constantin Duca. Cantemir found himself in a explanatory models porecarious financial situation, being dispossessed of As a romanian chronicler (author of chronicles), Dimitrie his heritage by his brother Antioh, he married Cantemir represents the most important personality of Casandra, the Valachian voivode Serban Cantacuzino the romanian literature in the feudal era. He won the in 1699. He was again enthroned as voivode of respect of his contemporary intellectuals and of his Moldavia in 1710. Judged as devoted towards the descendants, he impressed by his own strong Ottoman Empire, he played the role as a spy and his personality as a symbol for the whole mankind, grace of main goal was to watch over the Valachian voivode his studies concerning some fields as: history, Constantin Brancoveanu suspected to have planned to geography, politics, music, mathematics and physics. join the Russian’s side. The Ottomans defeat in the Born in Silisteni on October 26, 1673, he was the battle of Zenta, in 1697 determined Dimitrie Cantemir to second son of Constantin Cantemir, Prince who’s name lose his trust in the militaryvalue of the Ottoman army origins sprung down to a Tatar Soultan, ruler of and making alliance with the Rissian Tzar Peter the Moldavia between 1685 and 1693, who was evaluated Great, he fighted by the Russian side during the Russo as a docile tool in the hands of moldavian boyard’s Turkish War. oligarchy. Dimitrie Cantemir’s education was provided Cantemir was forced to choose the exile way near by the Cretanian monck Ieremia Cacavela, who tought Peter the Great of Russia, after the defeat of his army him the Slavonic language, then Greek, Latin, theology by the Turks in the battle of Stănileşti on Prut river. On and philosophy. Since he was 15 years old, that means August the 1st, 1711 he received the title of Price of since 1688, he lived in Istanbul as a hostage at the Russia, enjoying of the very special Tzar’s
209 Knowledge Horizons - Economics Volume 6, No. 2, pp. 209–211, © 2014 Pro Universitaria consideration and he lived twelve years in Harcov, of voivodes. The third part concernes the church ones Moscow and Sankt Petersburg. After his wife’s death, and other customs and proofs rich information about he married, in 1719, Nastasia Trubetkoi. Cantemir felt the moldavian laanguage, the alphabet in use but also sick during the campaign against Prussia, he reached about local mythology, the author being the first one his way back and died at 50 years old age on who made researches and observation over the September the 1st 1723, being burried in the Down moldavian ethnography and folklore. Church of the Greek Monastery from Moscow. Cantemir’s main political ideas were the fight against Well known as propagator of the Enlightment, he wrote the Ottoman Empire domination and the setting up of the first book in romanian language „the Divan or The an authoritaritative voivodal state in Moldavia able to Wise Man’s Parley (Quarrel) with the World” more in a replace the ancient nobiliary one, both stipulated by the spirit of an ethics treaty. His second work, „The Image Lutek Treaty concluded between Moldavia and Russia of the Sacred, Undepictable Science” was published in in 1711. This treaty foresaw the independence of the Latin at Constantinopol under the title „Metaphysics”, moldavian state and the establishment of a centralized the author becaming a forerunner in the Romanian voivodal regime under the Russian’s border, and the philosophy. His next work was „the Logics”, which was „Descriptio Moldaviæ” meaned a completion and a the first didactic material known as being written, under scientific commentary of the treaty concluded by this form by a romanian. Cantemir with the Tzar Peter the Ist. It was underlined He was chosen member of the Academy in Berlin, that Moldova was an independent country but its liberty since 1714, prompted by the members of this cultivated was infringed in the same moment with the violation of Assembly, he wrote his renowned book entitled: the treaties and the existence of a centralized voivodal „Descriptio Moldaviæ”. This monumental work was regime which existed since the settlement of the structured in three parts: geography, politics and the country and being abolished by the nobility. In those third about the church and other wise works from conditions were established the historical principles, Moldova. Any geographical works of his time wasn’t through the conclusions elaborated by the well conceived in a such complex manner, those ones knowledge of the past useful to Cantemir’s politic ideas referring only at a country and the kind of state applied when he was in the voivodal chair. organisation, without describing the customs of the Judged by Nicolae Iorga to be a social philosofical voivode, of the ruling class, the nobles and the people. novel with a patriotic character very close o the politic The genuine kind of this work was given by descriptions pamphlet, the literary wotk of the renowned writer was concerning the people, with his wedding and funeral considered the „Historia Hieroglyphica” which customs, depicting characters from the folklore allegorically depicted a whole era. The writing has for tradition, games and ceremonies, also the local myths. purpose unmasking the strong dissensions between the The special care that Cantemir offered to the folk life in boyards’ s families being in charge to rule both the his description of the country was the evidence not only romanian countries and the role played by the Sublime of a world wide opened sight from the scientific point of Porte both in the politics and life of Moldavia and view, but also of author’s progressist attitude Wallachia using characters from the fable’s world. The concerning the social and politic issues. A step forward action reffers to the Raven (Brancoveanu) who vanted for understanding the meaning og the state, generally, extend his influence in Moldova and initiate the was represented by the inclusion of the folk’s life in a Unicorn’s (Dimitrie Cantemir) pursuit, Unicorn who, book concerning the feudal state. Written in latin, this being betrayed, was captured, put in jail and only finally book doesn’t belong to the romanian literature, but it is set free (released). This action gave to Cantemir the linked to our romanian history of literature by its possibility of intrusion inside the politic realities of hi described subjects and the place of Dimitrie Cantemir’s stime not only in Moldavia, but also in Wallachia and creation and his social ideas. This book was written in even Ottoman Empire. The final part of „Historia 1716 at the request of the Academy in Berlin, organized Hieroglyphica” is represented by a glossary, the first in three chapters and contains in the geographical one one in the romanian literature. The lecture of this work the description of relief forms, of flora, fauna and is enough difficult specially some explications needed, mineral reches, depicting the small towns and the much more further in the medieval literature was country’s main towns during the history and elaborates enthroned the tradition of presenting the human life a map of Moldavia, Cantemir becaming, in that way, under the cover of an animal world story. For the our first romanian cartographer. The political chapter author, the fantastic world offered some originally field reffers to the political and administrative organisation of by writing it as a pamphlet where the narrative, the the country, speking about the type of the state, the fable, the fairy tale, the fiction with characters are manner of chosing or rejecting the voivodes, weaved (knitted) with a lot of deep mistery extracted particularities linked to the enthronment or dethronment
210 Knowledge Horizons - Economics Volume 6, No. 2, pp. 209–211, © 2014 Pro Universitaria from proverbs, lines and thoughts from the oriental and 7. Radu, Raisa, Radu, Homer, Dimitrie Cantemir, în classic romanian folklore. Studii şi articole de istorie , Bucureşti, 1995; Cantemir’s world wide fame was, however duet o his 8. Teodor, Pompiliu, Dimitrie Cantemir şi work „The History of the Decline and Fall of the preiluminismul sud est European , în Anuarul Institutului Ottoman Empire”, for the chosen subject, the novelty of de istorie şi arheologie (Cluj Napoca), 1976; the approach, the original manner of using some data 9. Zub, Alexandru, Dimitrie Cantemir(1673 1723), through the book and the original translation both in principe român şi cărturar european, Iaşi, 2003. Frec hand English. Concerning the work „Constantin Cantemir’s life”, it can’t be said exactly if it is a singular biography of his father or an anticipated chapter from Dimitrie’s „Chronicle of the durability of Romans Moldavians Wallachians”, seen during a long time as his capital work, the first history of anywhere Romanians could live. Elaborated upon the basis of a ample plan and using a wide spectrum of information extracted from the works belonging to historians across the time, by his progressist ideas and his encyclopaedic spirit, Dimitrie Cantemir became one of the most remarcable personalities of the whole european culture.
3. Conclusions He realized the completion and the final conclusion of Roman origin elaborated by hispredecessors, Cantemir started to build a bridge to the Southern and western Europe from the very middle of the South Eastern part full involved both in orthodox and bizantine tradition. In this way he suggested the imminent fall of empires, events in which believed all small and oppressed peoples. He added to our history the pieces which werte missed from documents but which he inserted in the appropriate place with the profound intuition of the integrated facts. Cantemir succeeded, due of his gifts, erudition and his many sided culture to demonstrate to the south eastern world, but specially to his own country that he belongs to the Europe born from the european spirit and, in the same time, one of the sources of this spirit.
References 1. Botoacă, Silvestru, Dimitrie Cantemir, Bucureşti, 1995; 2. Callimachi, Scarlat, Dimitrie Cantemir. Viaţa şi opera în imagini , Bucureşti, 1995; 3. Cândrea, Virgil, Locul lui Dimitrie Cantemir în cultura românească, în 300 de ani de la naşterea lui Dimitrie Cantemir , Bucureşti, 1974; 4. Ghilaş, Victor, Opera lui Dimitrie Cantemir sursă de cercetare organologică , în Arta, Chişinău, 2004; 5. Lăudat, Ion, Dimitrie Cantemir viaţa şi opera , Iaşi, 1973; 6. Ploieşteanu, Gr., Noi mărturii privind ecoul operei lui Dimitrie Cantemir , Târgu Mureş, Serie Nouă, XIV, 1984, nr. 165;
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